On February 5th 2004 twenty three Chinese drowned in Morecambe Bay. Their families in China are still paying off their debts.

When a young girl, Ai Qin pays $25,000 to be smuggled into the UK in order to support her family back in China, she becomes another one of three million migrant workers that have become the bedrock of our economy. Forced to live with eleven other Chinese in a two bedroom house, they work in factories preparing food for British supermarkets. Risking their lives for pennies these unprotected workers end up cockling in Morcombe Bay at night.

With an extraordinary debut performance from Ai Qin Lin in a film whose principal characters are played by Chinese former illegal immigrants, Ghosts offers a unique insight into a secret world that surrounds us.

My opinion

Disturbing subject matter treated with honesty, humility and integrity, well worth seeing and hopefully with some decent extras.

I'll write more after checking out the dvd.

Released by Tartan Video.

Keep The River On Your Right (2000) (OFF THE SCHEDULE) Another problem dvd for Tartan Video?

Manji (1964) Dir by Yasuko Masumura

Description:

Practically unclassifiable, Manji moves from lesbian love, to adultery, to multiple sexual relationships tangled in webs of deceit, blackmail, and maybe even murder.

Sonoko (Kyoko Kishida, Woman of the Dunes), having grown bored with her pampered life as the wife of an impotent lawyer, enrolls in art class where she scandalizes the school with her lusty paintings of fellow art student Mitsuko (Ayako Wakao, Red Angel). A torrid affair erupts between Sonoko and Mitsuko, fuelling jealousy among their male lovers. Soon their lives are entrenched in desire, deception, blackmail, blood oaths and suicide pacts in this controversial and visually stunning film from director Yasuzo Masumura.

A dazzling tale of love, lust and the extremes of desire, this controversial and groundbreaking drama boasts a screenplay by Onibaba/Kureneko director Kaneto Shindo. Another twisted masterpiece from the director of Blind Beast and Red Angel, Manji is as shocking today as when it was first shown in Japan in the mid-1960s.

Unknown to me but certainly sounds interesting.

Released by Yume Pictures.

The Professor (Il Camorrista) (1986) Dir by Giuseppe Tornatore

Description:

Based on the real-life case surrounding Cosa Nostra mastermind Raffaele Cutolo, THE PROFESSOR tracks his life as he rises through the ranks to become an untouchable overlord and the worst nightmare for Naples' police force.

Released by Nouveaux Pictures.

Sword In The Moon (2003) (OFF THE SCHEDULE) Yet another delayed release from Tartan Video.

This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006) Dir by Kirby Dick

Description:

Passionate cinephiles can be found casting quizzical glances at the erratic and often conflicting decisions made by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) as they slap ratings onto movies. So in an attempt to make sense of their working methods--which, until now, have remained shrouded in mystery--one of those cinephiles, Kirby Dick (TWIST OF FAITH), has made this full-length motion picture about the inner workings of the MPAA.

My opinion

Somewhat amusing look at the stupidity of the MPAA ratings board, far too much time is wasted in trying to I.D. board members rather than delving into the problem and looking for solutions. After all, we do not have this problem in the U.K.

This has already been aired on U.K. television so I cant imagine itll sell or rent very well, plus its the type of release that will have a very limited potential audience.

Nothing to do with World cinema but coming to the end of this weeks listings I came across this release which conjures up all sorts of highly amusing imagery, Yoga For Cyclists.

I have Manji at home and have yet to see it, but it sounded very intriguing. The only Masumura film I've seen so far was "Afraid to Die" from 1960, imo a seminal Yakuza movie and a very good film. Definitely a director to look out for. I'll have to ask somebody to record "Blind Beast", which will be showing on German TV at the end of the month

Ghosts sounds also very interesting. I'll keep an eye out for it. Thanks for your effort Trev.

Set in Sarajevo, ESMAS SECRET tells the moving story of a mother struggling to provide for her 12-year-old daughter in the wake of the civil war. As a matter of pride, Esma refuses to cash in on her husbands war hero status--which would allow her daughter a discount on an upcoming school trip--preferring instead to raise the money herself.

My opinion

Well performed mother/daughter drama that brings up the painful realities and after effects of war, the Balkan war in this case. Worst aspect has to be the title, you will almost certainly have the secret worked out within the first 10 minutes, the original title which is a town name is far more poignant to the story.

It's hard to believe that in the 21st Century when we believe we are so advanced that we would still be faced with issues as primitive and basic as the brutality, hatred and criminality of war and all it entails. The film is extremely moving in parts, it's just a shame that the ending felt kind of rushed.

Recommended.

Released by Dogwoof Pictures.

Moscow Elegy (Moskovskaya elegiya) (1987) - Dir by Aleksandr Sokurov

Description:

Youve gotta love this description - Fitting in with the elegiac mood of the Elegy series, the programme explores the work of this great filmmaker and its context of history.

Good to see more Sokurov releases, I wonder if they'll cover the series of Elegies

Two rival neighbours end up in neighbouring hospital beds as a result of an accident with a tractor. Both are paralysed from the waist down. Together they travel in wheel chairs across Europe united in their intent of suing the manufacturers of the tractor in Finland...

My opinion

Shot in grainy black and white and pretty black in the humour department as well, vulgar and tasteless but it has its appeal. Not one I would personally buy but I have seen it twice and preferred it second time around. I would rather have seen a more anarchic edge to the comedy myself.

In THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN, an imaginative fantasy from the creators of DELICATESSEN, a prematurely aging mad scientist named Krank (Daniel Emilfork) kidnaps children so he can steal their dreams. However, Krank runs into trouble when his henchmen grab Denre (Joseph Lucien), a little boy whose adopted brother, One (Ron Perelman), is a circus strongman. One desperately tries to find Denre and begs for help from Miette (Judith Vittet), a 9-year-old girl who heads up a gang of orphans. Together, One and Miette finally find Krank's castle, meeting along the way the lost identical brother--the original--of the three clones (each played by Dominique Pinon) who serve as Krank's assistants. French directors Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet once again prove their technical prowess with this dark fairy tale, which features outstanding performances from its youthful cast (most notably Vittet). As is the case with DELICATESSEN, however, their genius in constructing a highly artificial, beautiful, believable world threatens to overshadow the story. But even the fantastic sets cannot compare to the bizarre spectacles that Jeunet and Caro dream up. In one unforgettable scene, a pair of evil Siamese twin sisters prepare dinner, their four arms working perfectly in sync--one holding vegetables for another to chop while a third stirs the soup and a fourth scratches their collective itches. Frequent David Lynch collaborator Angelo Badalamenti creates the chilling, circusy musical score that adds to the film's magic.

My opinion

The middle ground between Delicatessen and Amelie and it shows, gloriously mad and very enjoyable. This is the third dvd release but I am unaware of any difference between this and the last release.

Imperial Japan, 1624. Shogunate General Hidetada has died under mysterious circumstances. It is soon revealed that the General was poisoned becuase he did not want his eldest son to be heir. A war between the eldest son and his younger brother soon erupts in this film directed by Kinji Fukasaku.... Japanese dialogue with subtitles.

My opinion

A LINK to my thoughts on this film. All I can add is that it was unfortunately more than a little boring.

The only difference I can see is the cover design.

Distributed by Eureka Entertainment

Trilogy - One / Two / Three (2002) - Dir by Lucas Belvaux

Description:

In 'One' when a terrorist tries to resume his campaign finds his former colleagues have settled down. In 'Two' when Alain hides his ill health from his love Cecile she mistakenly believes he is having an affair. In 'Three' policeman Manise is forced to balance his wife's morphine addiction with catching the local crime boss.

Still havent seen Three but one and two are pretty decent films, the good thing is though that each film blurs into the others so you see things from several perspectives, the only other film I can think of that is constructed in a similar way is Brit indie film Gypo.

Patrice Chereau's adaptation of Joseph Conrad's novella THE RETURN is a gripping chamber piece in which a bourgeois man's stable, comfortable life is unexpectedly shattered. The time is turn-of-the-century France.

My opinion

Beautifully staged, outstandingly performed and extremely atmospheric period drama, the house is as much a star as the cast and Im really looking forward to seeing this a second time.

A LINK to arsaib4's review.

Distributed by Artificial Eye

It`s Winter (Zemestan) (2006) - Dir by Rafi Pitts

Description:

A man is fired from his job. Having no more options, he decides to go find work abroad, leaving behind his wife and daughter. Months pass and his family hear no word from him.
A stranger, a mechanic, arrives in townin search of work. His eyes wander to the beautiful young woman whom he hears no longer has a husband.

My opinion

Unusual for an Iranian film, a series of almost cyclical events revolve around a beautiful woman, almost karmic in tone, slow paced and quite haunting. Another film I'm looking forward to seeing again.

SANCE is based on the 1964 film SANCE ON A WET AFTERNOON. An unhappy couple are granted a temporary burst of purpose when a young girl, kidnapped in a high-profile case, escapes her tormenters and hides in their house. Instead of immediately informing the police, however, the couple decide to plant a series of clues to prove the wife's psychic abilities in locating the girl. But when their plot backfires horrifically, the couple ends up paying dearly for their deception.

Two Italian boys born on the same day are destined for divergent paths; Olmo is born to peasant parents and will become a passionate socialist, while Alfredo's bourgeois, landowning origins will lead him to ultimately embrace fascism.

My opinion

At a running time of 327 minutes despite the PAL 4% speed up, this has to be the longest version ever released, a film that still has the power to shock despite its age, thoroughly deserving of its 18 rating.

Released by 20th Century Fox.

Ashes And Diamonds (1958) Dir by Andrzej Wajda

Description:

The tragic story of a young Polish Resistance fighter who makes a terrible mistake. He kills the wrong man on the last day of the Second World War. Polish language with subtitles.

My opinion

The most mainstream in construction of the trilogy dealing with the Polish resistance, shame that the ending is so formulaic but still a very good film.

Released by Arrow Films.

A Better Tomorrow (1986) John Woo

Description:

Two brothers, one a Hong Kong cop the other a crook become tied together by murder and double cross in the underworld of crime.

Released by Optimum Releasing.

Black Book (Zwartboek) (2006) Dir Paul Verhoeven

Description:

September 1944 and Rachel Stein, a beautiful yet feisty Jewish chanteuse has fled Nazi Germany for the relative safety of the Netherlands. Hoping to be reunited with her family, she and many other refugees are ambushed by Nazis. Everyone, including her family, are killed.

As sole survivor, Rachel manages to meet up with the Dutch Resistance and turn her into a double agent. She is assigned to seduce the senior officer Munze (Sebastian Koch) in order to infiltrate the enemy's headquarters. However, it soon becomes a dangerous game of double-dealing and betrayal, threatening her true identity and her life.

Released by Tartan Video.

Colour Of The Loyalty (Hak Bak Jin Cheung) (2005) Dir Siu-hung Chung

Description:

In the tradition of Infernal Affairs, the movie follows "Fat", an orphan and his "Uncle Chai" who is a follower of Brother Dragon, the Big Gangster.
Award winning: Best Screenplay and Film of Merit in 2006 at the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards.

Released by Elephant Video. Originally due for release in March.

Heaven`s Soldiers (Cheon Gun)

Description:

A military-themed time travel adventure filled with equal parts action and comedy! The story centres on a group of North and South Korean soldiers who find themselves flung back in time only to come face to face with a past war hero who is not all that he has been represented in the story books.

A romantic tale of love, jealousy and death which revolves around a murderer awaiting the inevitable arrival of the police.

Released by Optimum Releasing.

London To Brighton (2006) Dir Paul Williams

Description:

Gritty and unflinching drama about the lowlifes and criminals that inhabit Londons seedy underworld. A 30-something prostitute trying to flee from her pimp exploits a young girls innocence for her own gain, but ends up becoming her protector.

Released by Momentum Pictures.

My opinion

Although I havent seen it yet this film has picked up good reviews on the arthouse circuit, just as Red Road (2006) did. Hopefully another sign of a growing quality Brit indie scene.

Quai Des Brumes (Port Of Shadows) (1938) Dir Marcel Carne

Description:

An army deserter rescues a girl from a group of criminals but is killed in the process.

Released by Optimum Rreleasing. Originally due for an early April release by Blackhorse Entertainment, no idea how or why there's a sudden change in distributor.

Quai Des Orfevres (1947) Dir Henri-Georges Clouzot

Released by Optimum Rreleasing.

The White Sheik (Lo Sceicco Bianco) (1952) Dir Federico Fellini

Description:

THE WHITE SHEIK is an early film from acclaimed Italian director Federico Fellini and is the story of a pair of newlyweds whos idyllic honeymoon turns into a nightmare when the bride decides to run away in pursuit of a soap-opera actor.

May creeps in very quietly, but at least the films are quality titles.

May 07

Diary Of A Country Priest (1950) Dir Robert Bresson

Description

Robert Bresson's landmark character study of one man's crisis of faith in THE DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST vaulted him into the front rank of French filmmakers. The film follows a young priest as he deals with various seemingly insurmountable difficulties: the tangled animosities of the people in his parish, his own inability to find solace in prayer, and a growing suspicion that the illness he's experiencing might indeed be fatal. An older priest offers him down-to-earth advice about distancing himself from the personal lives of the villagers, but the young priest feels compelled to help them, even if his devoted efforts could well be hastening his own death.

Released by the ever busy Optimum Releasing

Romanzo Criminale (2005) - Dir by Michele Placido

Description

A master criminal has his sights on conquering Romes underworld in this exciting gangster epic, spanning more than 25 years of criminal activity in Italy.

Released by Icon Entertainment

The Third Part Of The Night (aka Trzecia Czesc Nozy) (1971) Dir by Andrzej Zulawski

Description

The story is set in Nazi-occupied Poland where a young man escapes the massacre of his family. His subsequent guilt and experiences are shown through multilayered symbolism and apocalyptic imagery.

Released by Second Run

Romanzo Criminale is the only title likely to get a rental release but I'm dubious that any of them will.